Wolf Games: Severed Fates (The Vampire Games Book 6)

by Caroline Peckham

  I eyed the doors, but they didn't move. Surely Rockley would come? What choice did he have?

  Time ticked by, but no one appeared.

  The woman, Mortifer, eventually moved toward the door, jamming her sword into the gap between them. A ringing of metal on metal cut through the air. She stepped back and the six men in jackal masks ran forward, slamming their axes between the gap the sword had made and wrenching the iron doors apart with barely a huff of effort.

  They were frighteningly strong. And I started to wonder if this had been a good plan after all.

  Two guards darted out of the tunnel, looking somehow diminished before the Watchers.

  Two of Mortifer's men moved forward at speed. A spray of the guards' machine gun bullets rattled through the air and pinged uselessly off of the Watchers' armour. The two Jackals cut the men down in merciless blows of their axes, hacking limbs and spilling blood.

  My mouth dried up as the second man's screams were cut brutally short.

  “Oh my god,” Selena breathed in my ear.

  As one unit, the Watchers moved into the tunnel, trampling through the broken bodies of the men and stamping bloody footprints across the stone floor inside.

  Selena tugged my arm and I dropped the binoculars.

  “We have to go - now,” she hissed, as if she feared the Watchers would hear her. “And we have to hurry.”

  I rose to my feet, knowing she was right and terrified of what might happen to us now the Watchers were inside.

  “We get in and out,” Selena reiterated.

  “As fast as bloody lightning, sweetheart.” We tore toward the hatch and I threw it open before lowering myself into the dark space.

  Selena followed and I held out my arms to catch her, helping her down. Shutting the hatch, we were plunged into darkness. It only took a moment for my eyesight to adjust. We kept together, jogging down the narrow passage, the damp hanging in the air like an ocean fog. I could taste it in the back of my throat, musty and wet.

  The passage dropped steeply beneath our feet and we were soon moving at a rapid pace.

  I spotted another hatch up ahead and halted Selena just before it. Tugging it open, I found an endless metal ladder reaching far down into the shadows below. The shaft was narrow, barely wide enough to fit my frame, but I managed with a few choice swear words.

  Selena's boots dropped onto the rungs above my head and we started descending, moving slowly so as not to alert anyone to our presence with the clatter of our shoes on the ladder.

  I listened for sounds below us, but not much carried our way.

  The weight of my pack would have been a burden had I been a normal human, but my new strength was a blessing in this task, allowing me to carry a host of weapons without bother.

  The ladder descended much farther than I'd anticipated. We must have travelled a few hundred feet below the hill before my boots hit solid ground. Selena dropped off of the ladder at my side and I turned to face the metal door barring our way forward. I took out the key-card I'd stolen from the guard I'd killed earlier that day, moving toward it.

  Whistling filled my ears, alerting me to someone's presence.

  I took a large hunting knife from a sheath on my hip, turning to Selena and whispering, “We do this covertly for as long as we can manage.”

  “Hopefully the whole time,” she breathed back in answer.

  I gave her a smile before yanking the door open and grabbing the guard standing beyond it. I slammed a hand over his mouth, tugging him backwards and dragging the knife over his throat in the same movement. The cut was viciously deep. I offered a quick death. The man was just a worker in this place. But killing wasn't going to be avoidable on this mission.

  Selena checked the hallway to be sure no one had been alerted to our presence. I lowered the guard to the ground, pushing his body into the shadowy depths of the tunnel.

  “All clear,” Selena whispered and I followed her out of the door, wiping my bloody hands down my jeans.

  Now all we had to do was find our friends and get out of there.

  I'm here, brother. Hold tight.

  Jameson

  Staying away from Firefly required a lot of willpower. And I wasn't exactly privy to buckets of the stuff. Especially when it came to her. So I found myself wandering toward Silas's room in the early evening.

  When I reached his room, no one answered my knocking. Which made me worry in a way that almost crippled me. My mouth was dry. I considered breaking the door down just to be certain Cass wasn't there. But my gut told me they were gone.

  That left two options: either they'd run off without me in a daring escape plan. Or Rockley Jones had taken them somewhere. They wouldn't have wandered off without a reason. They were relatively safe in Silas's room, so why risk it? I settled on option B being the more likely. Cass wasn't going anywhere without me by choice. Girl had it bad for me. Not that I was tooting my own horn or anything. But if I had been, it would have been a foghorn with strobe lights and one of those batman projections in the sky.

  Two guards stepped out of the lift, both female, their eyes narrowing on me. “Mr Jones wants you downstairs immediately.”

  “Oh?” I inquired, but my casual expression did not reflect the war breaking out inside my chest.

  “Now,” commanded the elder of the two.

  Guessing I didn't have much choice, I headed after them into the lift. We descended a few levels before exiting into a space that looked like it would have been more fitting on the Death Star. Black, shiny walls were coupled with an equally dark carpet running down the centre toward a door at the far end.

  My heart beat out of tune. I was worried as hell for my girl. If Rockley was torturing her again, I was going to break off his knee caps and ram them down his throat.

  The guards guided me down the corridor and one of them unlocked the door with a security card. They gestured for me to go through and I marched into the room beyond it.

  The sight before me stopped me in my tracks and turned my blood to acid. The room was a wide circle of black stone, making me feel like I was in a fish bowl from hell.

  Rockley was sitting on a throne – an actual throne – made of black onyx with thick, metallic spikes protruding from the top of it in a fan.

  Silas was sitting beside him in a smaller version of the grand chair, his hands laced nervously together in his lap.

  Two guards flanked them. But none of this was what upset me the most. It was the sight of Cass on Rockley's lap, his hands wrapped around her waist, his fingers resting on her belly. On the baby. My baby. I was two seconds from losing it, when Rockley spoke, “Hello, Jameson.”

  I stepped closer, my boots pounding across the stone floor. I wasn't supposed to have my memories back, but the game was up if he hurt her.

  “Ulvic has made me aware of a little problem dat he has. He was very forthcoming with information last night during my party. Rest assured, he does not know you are here. I know how precious you are to him. What lengths he has gone to to help you...”

  I ground my teeth at his words, waiting for the penny to drop. What the hell was going on?

  “So I have decided to take it upon myself to help him wid dis...problem.”

  I cleared my throat. “I don't follow.”

  Rockley chuckled, the sound ricocheting off of the walls like a sick kind of music. “I disagree. I believe you follow perfectly, in fact. I have not yet wired in the CCTV in my hotel, but I had my men install it in de corridor where your pack is staying just yesterday. Call it a hunch which paid off. 'Cause dis girl came to your room last night and didn't leave until de morning. Thanks to Silas, she was found.” Rockley cast a glance at Silas who nodded stiffly. “A fact which seemed honourable until I started to piece de puzzle together.”

  “What puzzle?” I snarled.

  Silas's face paled.

  Cass gave me a desperate look, one which begged me not to talk my way into trouble. But that was the problem with being me. My mouth gener
ally caused me more problems than I could keep up with.

  Rockley took hold of Cass's thigh, shifting her legs apart and she tried to shove him away. My skin prickled all over. I was ready to rip this guy limb from limb. “You care for dis girl, don't you? I can see it in your eyes dat you do, how you despise my hands on her. Somehow...you have remembered dat fact.”

  His hand slid further up her leg and Cass tried to slap him but he caught her wrist. “Touch me again and I'll kill you,” she snarled, but Rockley only chuckled.

  I was either going to throw up or kill somebody. It was yet to be seen which.

  Rockley's gaze shifted to his guards. “Get him on his knees.”

  I braced myself, thinking they meant me, but it was Silas who was dragged from his chair and planted before Rockley on the floor.

  “Rockley!” Silas gasped, but Rockley simply glared at him.

  “You are de only one with de capabilities and de equipment to reverse de procedure conducted on de Werewolf. Do not lie to me, Madigan.” He shoved Cass from him and Silas lurched forward to catch her before she hit the floor.

  I squared my shoulders, marching closer and both guards raised their guns at my head.

  I paused, my mind pin-balling with panic.

  Rockley stood, lifting his pistol and casually resting the barrel against Silas's forehead.

  Cass sucked in a breath, but made no move toward him. Everything hung in the balance. We couldn't reveal our alliance with Silas. It would be a death sentence for him.

  “De truth,” Rockley snarled.

  Silas took a steadying breath and I had to admire the guy for not shitting his fancy grey slacks. “I didn't do anything. The memory disc must have failed. It was in the experimental stages – I didn't help him, I wouldn't.” Had to hand it to him, he was a damn good liar.

  Rockley's eyes flipped to me, dark and scolding. “Is dat de truth?”

  I dropped my shoulders, feigning defeat. “Yeah...my memories returned a couple of days ago. But please feel free to bury a bullet in Silas Madigan's face all the same, it would massively improve my day,” I bluffed. Not that I cared about the guy. I mean, okay, maybe I one-percent cared...

  I curled my upper lip back on a sneer and Rockley eyed my expression, dropping his arm to his side.

  Silas sagged with relief. “How many times are we going to go through this, Rockley?”

  Rockley dropped back down into his throne. “My gut tells me not to trust you, friend. And try as I might, I cannot shake de feeling. So I have taken some precautions of late to ensure you keep your word to me as my business partner.”

  The room began to spin. At first I thought I was imagining it, but the circular room was definitely turning. I wobbled on my feet as we did a one-eighty and a gap opened up in the wall behind me. I turned, taking in the new room stretching out before us; a vast rectangle of black stone. It rose up out of sight, high into the resort. Between two stretches of empty plastic seating, was an enormous pyre of wood, built into a colossal V. Resting against the logs at its base were four bodies. All of which were exact clones of Silas.

  I squinted, unsure what I was seeing.

  “Bastard!” Silas roared, getting to his feet as he spotted them.

  Rockley waved a hand and one of his guards walked toward the pyre, picking up an enormous flame thrower at the base of it. An actual flame thrower. Rockley didn't do anything without dramatics.

  “Wait!” Silas bellowed, moving forward, looking desperate.

  Rockley caught his arm, holding him back. “I cannot have you un-killable, my friend. Dat is no way to secure a relationship.”

  “Those clones cost over eighty grand each,” Silas snarled, his left eye ticking.

  Ho-ly shit.

  “Of course. And now dat I know whose side you are on, I will have de money transferred to your account as compensation.” Rockley smiled eerily, patting his shoulder. “Dis is for de best, Silas. Now we'll be on equal ground.”

  The guard leant down, igniting the flame thrower as he aimed it at the pile of bodies. Heat surged through the air, followed by the sickly smell of petrol.

  Cass backed up and I dragged her into my arms. What did it matter now? Rockley knew the truth about my memories. But it was Ulvic I was more concerned about learning that fact.

  The flames took root in the pyre, sending a billowing cloud of smoke up toward the ceiling. The smell of burning bodies crawled into my nose and Silas gazed on hopelessly as his clones were devoured by fire.

  “I imagine you'll want to be very careful with dat final body of yours, Silas,” Rockley taunted.

  Silas shot him a glare, his lips pursed with anger. “This no longer feels like a partnership, it feels like blackmail.”

  “I like to have a little sway over my investments, dat is all,” Rockley purred.

  I dropped my head, resting my forehead against Cass's. “Are you alright?” I murmured.

  “Yes.” She looped her arms around my waist, holding me tighter as if I might be dragged away at any moment. Which was exactly what I expected to happen. I didn't want to dwell on the shit-storm that would come after this. When Ulvic found out I had my memories back, he'd probably order me to castrate myself so I could never indulge in my desire for her ever again. At that thought, I held her tighter, using her partly as a human shield for my crotch.

  A sharp female voice suddenly sounded through the room as if through a speaker. “Accolt Jones you are hereby arrested by the Servators of Dødstårn. Watchers of the Immortal realm. By I, Priestess Mortifer of the Northern Clan. Come to us and there shall be no fight. If we are forced to come to you, payment will be taken in blood.”

  What the hell?

  In a flash, Rockley's eyes grew wide, terrified even. He swore so loudly, I dragged Cass another measured step away from him. Guns were still pointed at us. One wrong move and I doubted we'd continue breathing in that smoky-fleshy-burny air. Which wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, considering my sensitive nose was making me want to gag.

  Rockley rounded on his guards. “Take those two downstairs. Put them in a cell.”

  “Sir?” one of them questioned.

  “NOW!” Rockley bellowed.

  Two men grabbed hold of me and Cass – separating us of course.

  We were hauled out of the room and my gut spiralled. I shared a glance with Cass as her eyes glimmered with fear.

  We were dragged to a cell several floors down and shoved inside it together before the door slammed in our faces.

  I turned to Cass, beaming. “They didn't split us up,” I announced brightly.

  She fought a grin. “That's what you're focusing on right now?”

  “Hell yes, baby.” I reached into my pocket, taking out the key card Cass had left in my room that morning, waving it in front of her nose. “Because they didn't search me either and Rockley is currently distracted by the Watchers. Maybe even long enough for us to escape.”

  Cass's eyes widened. “Who are the Watchers?”

  I rattled off a quick explanation then she flung her arms around me. I figured 'screw it' and slammed her against the nearest wall, kissing her until she growled, “Jameson.”

  Was I beyond having wild, hot sex in this damp, dank cell that had blood stains marking the floor? Nope, not even a little bit. I lifted her into the air, wrapping her thighs around my waist.

  “Jameson,” she said firmly.

  “Yeah, say my name, baby.”

  “No, you idiot! Jameson – stop.” She pushed me back, shaking her head at me. “We aren't going to have sex right now, are you crazy? We have bigger problems.”

  “Are you sure we have bigger problems?” I glanced down and she followed my gaze before slapping my arm.

  “You are such a pig.”

  I snorted a couple of times in response and she laughed as I reluctantly let her drop to the floor.

  “Okay party-pooper,” I sighed.

  “Jameson, if we get out of here you can have me every singl
e night for the rest of time.” She grinned wickedly and I wanted to devour her like the wolf had red-riding hood. Except, less eating, more licking.

  “That a promise?” I grinned hungrily.

  “Cross my heart, wolf boy.”

  She walked toward the door, ignoring me as I figuratively mopped up the drool at my feet and hounded after her. She pressed her ear to the metal door, listening. I did the same, gazing at the back of her head as I did so. Mmm...she smelled like almonds. The roasted kind. Dusted with sugar.

  “Two guards.” She stepped back. “I can't hear any more than that.”

  I flexed my fingers and rolled my neck side to side. “Are we doing this wolf-style or keeping our clothes on?” I glanced down at her body with a smirk. “I vote for option A.”

  She planted a hand on her hip. “I can't control it. I only seem to turn when I'm majorly pissed off.”

  “That so?” I hooked up a brow.

  “And what about the baby?” she went on. “Turning can't be good for it.”

  “Na, you're a Werewolf. I'm sure it's fine. Maybe it morphs too? Like into a little cub?” I thumbed my chin and she shook her head.

  “Don't be ridiculous.”

  “It's possible,” I said.

  “We don't even know what this baby will be. It's part Vampire, who knows what abilities it will have?”

  “Yeah you're right...” I said, catching on to a way I might be able to get a rise out of her. “It could have a wolf head and a human body.”

  “Jameson! Don't say that.” She clutched her belly as if shielding the baby from my words.

  I went on, fighting a smile. “Or, it could have a wolf tail which would make nappies a real issue.”

  She scowled at me.

  “And what if it's hungry for blood all the time? We won't be able to send him to school if he keeps feasting on all the other kids-”

  “Shut up!” she demanded.

  “And what if it has a wolf brain so it's running around eating people and it's not even intelligent enough for us to tell it not to?” I gave her a that-would-be-dreadful expression and she lost her shit.